Strawberry Shortcake revamped
by K-Pilot
Summary: Not all things should be bought and sold. One shot


_I don't own any of these characters and make no profit from this._

* * *

Strawberry Shortcake stood outside the door to the Hallmark executive meeting room, her hand on the hilt of her katana. Soon, she thought, just a few minutes more and I will finally be able to rest in peace. She wore a red gi and cream colored hakama with two green stripes at the bottom. Her tabi were green and her red hair had been braided into corn rows and held back with a red ribbon. At her side, Custard, the tawny cougar swished his tail impatiently.

She had been innocent. A greeting card girl with a cheerful personality. Hallmark had taken her, promised to make her a star. And she, in her naivety, had agreed. At first it was easy, everything in Berryland was fun. She had many friends and Custard. Dear sweet Custard, whom she had teased with a watering can once.

But then things had begun to change. Sales had begun to decline. The fad was over, nobody wanted Strawberry Shortcake anymore, and then that fateful day. The day that everyone learned that they had been sold to Japan. Sold to a place that called them "kawaii". The japanese term for cute. At first it had been okay and then changes were made.

She still remembered the horror of the "rework" as they called it. The pain and suffering she and her friends had endured had taught her a new word "nakama". NA-KA-MA the word would always have significance to her. Brothers-at-arms or in this case sisters and brothers. Some had not survived the process and a shiver of horror still passed through her whenever she thought of their fate.

Others had survived and wished they hadn't. The peculiar purple pie man, dear god, the peculiar purple pie man. Strawberry Shortcake still knew the feel of her katana passing through his neck. She had refused to help him with his suicide, but watching him slice through his own guts, she figured it would have been crueler to let him suffer.

"Gentlemen and Ladies if you will take your seats then we can begin the meeting." At these word a sense of almost relief passed through her. They would all be sitting at the table now instead of scattered about the room. Scattered, not like the guards, she thought and almost chuckled in a fit of dark humor. Looking back down the hallway the guards were scattered in pieces.

Some floors below her was Blueberry Muffin. Strawberry Shortcake was grateful for her friend's assistance even if it did cost Blueberry her life. They had both come on this trip knowing that they would probably not survive.

"Let's go", she whispered at Custard. Taking one step back from the wall she kicked in the door. There were ten of them in the room. Her blade was already out and made quick work of the junior executive that was sitting at the end of the table. Blood shot out of the stump where his head had been. Custard tore through the throat of the secretary that had been standing next to him placing some coffee on the table.

The coffee spilled into the lap of the next woman. She screamed as the hot beverage splashed into her lap. Her scream changed into a gurgle as a precise sword thrust severed her aorta then tore through her lungs. Strawberry Shortcake had decapitated two more people in the time it took for the CEO to get over his initial shock and push the button to summon security.

Pulling a gun from underneath the table the CEO took aim at the mountain lion that was mauling the director of sales. He pumped two bullets into the animal causing it to scream and turn on him. He emptied the rest of the clip into the enraged cat. A final shuttering breath marked the end of his life.

Seeing the death of Custard sent Strawberry Shortcake into a rage. Finishing off the last of the board members she jumped onto the table and covered the distance to the CEO in two strides. Pausing only for a second, she glared down at him. A volume of words was passed between them in the silence. A quick flick of her wrist and the CEO's head flew across the room while blood sprayed her already drenched clothes.

Strawberry Shortcake stood for a few minutes contemplating the end of her revenge. Never in all her life had she thought it would be Custard to die instead of her. Turning she stepped off the table and gently petted the shoulder of the unmoving cat.

"Thank you, my friend", she spoke quietly. Standing she wiped her sword and sheathed it once more. Walking out into the hall she saw a flash of pink and felt something jam into her midsection. Stunned she looked down at the knife protruding from her stomach, still held by the hand of the little girl.

"You killed them all", the red-headed girl in the pink hat screamed furiously. "They were going to make me a star!" Strawberry Shortcake could not stop the bubble of manic laughter. She laughed as she staggered against the wall and slid down it. Angered at the laughter, the red-headed girl stabbed Strawberry Shortcake in the stomach twice more before flinging the dagger down and stomping off down the hall crying about her ruined career.

As Strawberry Shortcake lay bleeding against the wall, she heard music faintly. Straining her ears she could just make out the lyrics and it put a smile to her face that would last into eternity.

"Who sleeps all night in a cake made of strawberries,

wakes up bright in a cake made of strawberries,

Livin' right in a cake made of strawberries,

Strawberry Shortcake wouldn't ya know?"


End file.
